Ipomoea plant named ‘Kelly Ray’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of hybrid  Ipomoea  named ‘Kelly Ray’, characterized by its unique foliage with cordate shaped leaves that are irregularly mottled with dark purple and lime green and occasionally divided with one half of the leaf purple and one half of the leaf lime green.

Botanical classification: Ipomoea batatas.

Cultivar designation: ‘Kelly Ray’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Ipomoeabatatus named ‘Kelly Ray’ and is hereinafter referred to by its cultivarname ‘Kelly Ray’.

The Inventor discovered the new cultivar, ‘Kelly Ray’, as a naturallyoccurring chimeral mutation of ‘Ace of Spades’ (not patented) that wasgrowing in a flat at his nursery in Oklahoma City, Okla. in May 2009.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished byterminal stem cutting in Oklahoma City, Okla. in June of 2009. Asexualreproduction of the new cultivar has shown that the unique features arestable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘Kelly Ray’ as a new and unique cultivar of Ipomoea.

-   -   1. ‘Kelly Ray’ exhibits unique foliage with leaves that are        irregularly mottled with dark purple and lime green and        occasionally divided with one half of the leaf purple and one        half of the leaf lime green.    -   2. ‘Kelly Ray’ exhibits leaves that are cordate in shape.

‘Kelly Ray’ can be compared to its parent plant ‘Ace of Spades’. ‘Ace ofSpades’ differs from ‘Kelly Ray’ in having foliage that is dark purplein color with very rare small spots of lime green. ‘Kelly Ray’ hasfoliage that is marbled with both colors. ‘Kelly Ray’ can also be mostclosely compared to the cultivars ‘Emerald Green’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.18,307) and ‘Pink Frost’ (not patented). Both cultivars are similar to‘Kelly Ray’ in having variegated to mottled foliage, however they differin foliage coloration. ‘Emerald Green’ differs from ‘Kelly Ray’ inhaving foliage that is yellow-green and dark green. ‘Pink Frost’ differs‘Kelly Ray’ in having foliage that is white, green, and pink in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Ipomoea. The photographs weretaken of plants about 3 months in age as grown in 4-inch containersunder greenhouse conditions in Oklahoma City, Okla.

The photographs in FIG. 1 provide close-up views of young foliage of‘Kelly Ray’.

The photographs in FIG. 2 provide close-up views of mature foliage of‘Kelly Ray’ when grown under high light and high temperatures.

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with the digitalphotography techniques available, the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description accurately describe the colors of the new Ipomoea.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of 3 month-old plants of the newcultivar as grown under greenhouse conditions in 1-quart containers inOklahoma City, Okla. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary withvariations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as ithas not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. Thecolor determination is in accordance with The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chartof The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except wheregeneral color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Plant type.—Annual.        -   Plant habit.—Bushy, upright, and mounded.        -   Height and spread.—Reaches a height of 20 cm in height and            about 20 cm in width in a 1-quart container.        -   Temperature tolerance.—At least tolerant 5° C. to 35° C.        -   Diseases and pests.—Disease free in the conditions tested,            no susceptibility or resistance to pests has been observed.        -   Roots.—Fleshy.        -   Tubers.—Tubers have not be observed to be formed on the new            cultivar under the conditions of cultivation used to date.        -   Propagation.—Terminal stem cuttings.        -   Growth rate.—Vigorous.-   Stem description:    -   -   Shape.—Oval.        -   Stem color.—N79A maturing to N92A.        -   Stem size.—An average of 5 mm in diameter and 11 cm in            length.        -   Stem strength.—Strong.        -   Stem surface.—Slightly ridged and sparsely covered with            hairs.        -   Stem number.—Average of 4 in a 1-quart container.        -   Internode length.—Average of 1.5 cm in length.        -   Branching habit.—Basal branches from base.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Cordate.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf base.—Cordate.        -   Leaf apex.—Broadly acute to cuspidate.        -   Leaf venation.—Palmate, color on upper and lower surface            matches leaf color.        -   Leaf margins.—Entire with occasional slight indentations and            outward notches.        -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Leaf orientation.—Typically nearly horizontal to petiole.        -   Leaf surface.—Young leaves upper and lower surface;            glabrous, satiny and slightly raised between veins on upper            surface.        -   Leaf color.—Newly emerging upper and lower surface; 144A,            Young upper surface; variable mottling of N77A, 144A and            144B, young lower surface; a mottling of N79B and 138B,            mature upper surface; a mottling of N92A and 137C, mature            lower surface; a mottling of N79B and 137D, the mature            coloration is more intense when grown in high light and high            temperatures.        -   Leaf size.—Average of 5.5 cm in length and 7.5 cm in width.        -   Petioles.—Round in shape with a flattened side, average of            7.5 cm in length and 2.5 mm in width, color 59A with very            slight striations of 144A, surface is glabrous.-   Flower description: Flowering has not been observed for the new    Ipomoea under the conditions grown. The new cultivar is grown as a    foliage plant and has been grown under conditions that are conducive    to flower production.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of hybrid Ipomoea plantnamed ‘Kelly Ray’ as herein illustrated and described.